and he laughed, all the way home...

[Solly Mack]

I live in SW Central Louisiana and often frequent the local fleamarket looking for pieces to repurpose. Earlier today my husband and I were on the prowl for the various parts needed for a DIY hall tree project. We've been to this business many times and always managed to conduct trade in a cordial manner.

I spied a piece from several stalls down that had potential to work for my latest disruption of a normally quiet home. (if you don't count the blustering my two small ankle-biters engage in with gusto and much bravado)

Off I go, dragging my husband along, more than a little excited (me, not him) only to come face to face with a life size cardboard cutout of Donald Trump. Spirits dampened, I was greeted by the proprietor. I smiled politely, already against any purchase. Along with the cardboard image of a living mockery of humankind, were various tee-shirts and signs, all touting Trump.

My husband looked around and blurted out, "Are you seriously supporting Trump?" (Well, duh)

The store owner smiled proudly and said, "Of course! Aren't you?"

My beloved came back with, "No".

I'm hoping the man doesn't ask why because this has the potential for getting ugly. (Remember, this is an open carry state) When my husband shed his uniform, he also completely shed his filter. (not that he ever had much of one)

So of course the man does ask. (and my husband was hoping he would)

"Because he attracts the worst kind of people and he's no better. You can't be around a Trump supporter for more than a few minutes before they say something stupid or racist. Usually both, just like Trump."

The man, now with a funny look on his face, turns as his wife walks over, and begins a rant about BLM, saying "Black lives matter, just not as much" (holding up a tee-shirt with the same words)

My husband looks the man in the eye and says, "See?"

We leave. (won't be returning) My husband laughed on the way back to the car.

[elleng]

1. "See???"

[Solly Mack]

6. I am proud of him.

His tone was polite, not the least bit hostile, which made the whole thing that much more funny.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. Game, set, match.

[Solly Mack]

9. That phrase pretty much played across the man's face too.

My husband's as well.

[madokie]

3. I'm laughing my ass off just reading this

one of the beanies of being an old fart like me is when it comes to truth I don't give a shit if I offend anyone 'specially if they're stoopid as this man is

You and your husband did good

Peace

[Solly Mack]

7. It was a sight to to see. Especially that man's face after his wife came out and opened her mouth.

[madokie]

12. In my minds eye

I can see it now LOL

[Warpy]

4. Well, your husband earned his right to shed his filter

and his comeback was absolutely perfect.

It's just too bad a good source for busted furniture turned out to be such a jackass.

[Solly Mack]

8. Yeah, I am going to miss that part of it all. I know of another place, just farther to drive.

Worth it though.

[Hayduke Bomgarte]

5. `

[brer cat]

10. Ha! I think I'm in love with your husband, Solly.

That was perfect!

[Solly Mack]

11. lol! I am proud of him. I told him he owes it all to the wife for her timing and setting him up.

But really, we both knew it was just a matter of time once we saw all the Trump trash.

[lunatica]

13. TA-DA-BOOM

Perfect timing and perfect statement and response from your husband. He could have just let it slide and pretend he didn't make any connection. LOL!

[Solly Mack]

19. No way was he going to let that chance go by. He loves to bait people, and he does it so politely.

[niyad]

14. kudos to both of you.

[progressoid]

15. Wow, I know I have some backward neighbors around here.

But they mostly keep it to themselves.

Frankly, that kind of out and out racism would freak me out.

[Solly Mack]

17. Until last week the only show of support I saw was a bumpersticker for Trump.

I'd seen one supporting Ben Carson months earlier, and this on a truck, driven by a white male, with a confederate battle flag in his back window.

Last week, though, a man was selling Trump crap on the side of the road. Now today...

I grew up in Georgia, lived all over, to include Europe, and overt racism isn't exactly a shock to me. No less disturbing, but not a shock.

My husband handled it beautifully. I'm not so even-tempered.

[renate]

16. your husband is great, and he did great, but...

... I am beyond horrified that a t-shirt with those words exists and that anybody would produce, sell, or wear it. That's so unspeakably vile.

Until this election I've been pretty sheltered, I guess. I knew that there are people to whom that shirt would be funny but I kind of didn't know it, either, till now.

[Solly Mack]

18. They were both proud of their philosophy of life. That wasn't the worst tee-shirt.

They feel emboldened and accepted, and Trump has given them that. They have felt emboldened before - but racists are experiencing a new level of feelings of acceptance, and that is because of Trump. I think, anyway.

[narnian60]

20. Scary and sad.

[a kennedy]

21. Love you and your husband......

[Solly Mack]

33. :)

[Sunny05]

22. Awesome! Whoa! You go!

See my signature line? Thank you!

[Solly Mack]

25. You're welcome, Sunny05.

Some days bring a gift in an otherwise mad world.

[treestar]

23. Don the Con and Racist

Has enabled racists to think it is publicly oK now, given that T-shirt.

[Solly Mack]

24. At least one of them got their smile wiped off their face.

I'm betting the wife did too once her husband told her what was said.

[Wilsonator]

26. Trump forum

I accidentally ended up on a political forum which was swimming with Trump supporters - the name fooled me into thinking it was a legitimate debating platform. The anonymity of the internet meant they wasted no time in showing their true colours. The racism was overt and disgusting. There was no engaging with them either. Totally blind to their lack of empathy for others.

[Solly Mack]

32. Yikes. Sounds like a snake pit.

[barbtries]

27. great story

thanks for sharing. aargh.

[Solly Mack]

35. He's still smiling about it today.

[barbtries]

42. be sure and let him know

that a lot of other people are, too

[liberal N proud]

28. That is a great take down

[Solly Mack]

36. The simple ones can be the best.

The couple couldn't help themselves and my husband couldn't resist.

[liberal N proud]

41. One time while traveling through Florida, I walked out of a business because of comments made

My wife was shopping and the store owner started a conversation asking me if I was voting. I think it was in 2012.

It quickly turned into a racist rant about Obama. I let the asshole go on and when my wife was done shopping and brought her things to the counter, I informed her we were not shopping at a racist establishment such as this and left the items on his counter.

Drove across the street and did our shopping.

[Solly Mack]

45. People make assumptions and go on a rant, never in their wildest imagination that their commentary

isn't appreciated, much less acceptable.

A lot of them don't care either way. Proud of themselves and their ignorance.

[ismnotwasm]

29. Excellent

Because he attracts the worst kind of people and he's no better. You can't be around a Trump supporter for more than a few minutes before they say something stupid or racist. Usually both, just like Trump."

Yes indeed

[Solly Mack]

37. Always just a matter of time and never a long wait.

Out comes something stupid and racist.

[Missn-Hitch]

30. Wow. Cheers to you and your husband.

I have been working on my filter. Stories like this makes me want to toss the filter.

[Solly Mack]

39. I'm prone to saying what I think but not always without conveying my intent.

My husband can do it and sound like he's asking you the time of day.

[mnhtnbb]

31. Oh, boy, Solly. Great story.

Trump has emboldened the racists to crawl out from under their rocks. Plenty of rocks in the South--but the South doesn't have a monopoly on them.

[Solly Mack]

38. It was one of those moments when things go just like they do on your mind - that's what

my husband said about it.

He's still smiling.

I've lived all over and racism is everywhere. Always has been.

[Jopin Klobe]

34. Good Man!

[Solly Mack]

40. I think so too

[calimary]

43. Bee-Yoo-Tee-Ful!

That dude didn't even know what hit him.

Which, actually, is the sad and seriously pathetic point. My best friend says I should not be looking down upon Trump supporters - which I can't NOT do. I can't find patience or understanding or sympathy for flat-out willing and deliberate racists, misogynists, xenophobes, Muslim-haters, gullible low-info voters, and others who swallow everything he's saying and believe the non-stop lying and distortion he's famous for.

I can't look at people like that and find much to try to reach out to. And I certainly can't respect them - OR their "right" to stay ignorant. Can't do it. I even thought about it and considered trying to do so. Nope. Doesn't work.

By now, after EVERYTHING we've seen, heard, and observed (if ALL you do is watch TV news without reading anything - if ALL YOU DO is just watch the news, and you STILL see no problem with The Donald), if someone is a Trump supporter, that tells me all kinds of things about them that they don't realize they're revealing about themselves, and all of it is BAD. And if they're actually working for him, or getting paid by him to further his interests in this campaign (and beyond), that's even worse. If he's fooled 'em, they're already losers. But if they go to it willingly and sign up for it willingly, that tells me they're hopeless and pretty much unredeemable.

I try not to give up on people, or write off whole groups of them. But some of these folks ... let's just say they make it nearly impossible for me to find my better angels.

[Solly Mack]

44. That's where I've been with Trump supporters.

No patience. Not worth the bad taste in my mouth.

My husband, however, sees a playground of possibilities.

He doesn't always get the result he wants but he often gets a chuckle.

White guy, blue eyed, former military that looks former military - people make assumptions about him and he feeds those assumptions right back to them.

[lupinella]

46. Thank you!

This literally made me LOL, which is rare.
I've spent most of my life in the blue part of a state with a lot of red. [Florida - less purple, more tie-dyed red/blue] As a mixed-race woman who appears white as snow, I've always had confrontations about race with people who make assumptions, especially when I venture out of my safely moderate city. The last two elections before this one brought out the assholes - this one has made them feel as if they're in charge.
Stand Your Ground + furious bigoted assholes. Death Eaters on parade. Hell on Earth.
Nice to have brilliant comedic timing make the day better.